Major League Soccer says the Los Angeles Galaxy will make the decision on whether to attempt to re-sign David Beckham based on his soccer ability and not his celebrity.

MLS President Mark Abbott said "there have been so many benefits" to the league's having Beckham, who is in the final season of a $32.5 million, five-year contract he signed to leave Real Madrid.

The midfielder, who turns 36 next month, has been criticized for leaving the Galaxy twice on loan to AC Milan. He missed most of the 2010 season after tearing an Achilles' tendon while playing in Italy.

Beckham will travel next week to London for the royal wedding on April 29. The Galaxy play at Dallas on May 1, but Abbott said the league doesn't have an issue with his schedule.

"He came here first and foremost as a soccer player," Abbott said Thursday at a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors. "You can't ignore that he's a famous soccer player."

Manchester United has been named as the world's most valuable football club for the seventh year in a row by Forbes, while its former star David Beckham is once again the highest-paid player.

Former England captain Beckham's career is in its final stages as he plays out his five-year contract with Los Angeles Galaxy, but he still earned $40 million last season according to Forbes.

It said the 35-year-old former United and Real midfielder added Pepsi and Electronic Arts to his list of endorsements, which is headed by his deal with Adidas -- which Forbes described as the biggest in world soccer.